The Portman pick is the single greatest reason for liberals to hope that revenue ends up in a supercommittee plan. He said as much to Dana Milbank.

Though Portman signed an anti-tax pledge, he sees the possibility for more tax revenue as part of an overall tax-reform package. He also sees “hope around the corner” that the debt standoff can be resolved.

Kyl, meanwhile, has nothing to lose: He’s retiring. If the Democrats couldn’t get a Snowe, a Collins, or a Gang of Six-er on the committee, this is about as good as they could have done. Toomey, the elder statesman of the Tea Party freshmen (he’d served three terms in the House before his 2010 comeback), so of the Republicans who voted “no” on the debt deal, he’s the one Democrats can do business with. (There’ll be no Ron Johnson or Rand Paul to toss grenades in the pond. Also, that rumor that “no” voters would be denied supercommittee slots was just that. A rumor.)